Christian Liberals & Progressive People of Faith

shrike3

(5,370 posts)

83. It's more irritation than me taking things personally.

Fri Mar 18, 2022, 03:06 PM

Mar 2022

I always imagined live and let live would be enough for anybody, but it seems not always. I had an atheist co-worker who would nag and nag me about the fact I went to church. Time came for Secret Santa, and I helped his "Santa" pick out a gift. When she told him I helped, he said, right in front of me, "Then it's something religious." It was not, and in fact was something he'd been talking about for months. The next day he asked if he could buy me lunch, and we were friends from then on.

I also got to appreciate his POV. He'd been proselytized by so many religious people, he felt he had to be on the offensive whenever dealing with one. I said, "You could worship Great Horned Owls and I wouldn't care." He said, "To me, worshipping Great Horned Owls would make more sense." We both had a laugh over that.

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Let me begin by stating that it is not my intent to limit or prohibit anyone's privilege to [View all] Atticus Mar 2022 OP

As a mathematician and an atheist, ... old as dirt Mar 2022 #1

My belief is that all have a right to express their faith whether in a diety or overleft Mar 2022 #2

I agree. shrike3 Mar 2022 #40

I'm with you. ShazzieB Mar 2022 #3

No, it does not "clang." Jirel Mar 2022 #4

And you make the same error other atheists have. Proselytization is the urging or encouraging Atticus Mar 2022 #6

Nice bait, LOL. Jirel Mar 2022 #22

Except that I know anti-theists and non-religious who believe the most outrageous things. shrike3 Mar 2022 #41

Quite true. Jirel Mar 2022 #58

Yes. shrike3 Mar 2022 #61

"---atheists don't need to ask it." So, it never occurs to atheists to ask the "What is the Atticus Mar 2022 #43

Some of those questions? Nope. Jirel Mar 2022 #63

I would normally respond with "Bless your heart!" but, I assume you don't believe in Atticus Mar 2022 #65

El cerro del Manzanillo old as dirt Mar 2022 #74

I don't think its the same. LakeArenal Mar 2022 #5

Can you prove God does not exist---or is that simply your belief? nt Atticus Mar 2022 #8

No proof of a negative is necessary, nor is it possible. MineralMan Mar 2022 #9

However you choose to describe it, you choose to believe something which cannot be Atticus Mar 2022 #10

No. You are incorrect. MineralMan Mar 2022 #12

I await your "actual evidence" that God does not exist? nt Atticus Mar 2022 #14

It doesn't work that way. Cartoonist Mar 2022 #16

Again, the other side of the coin: there exists no proof of the non-existence of God. nt Atticus Mar 2022 #17

You can't use a double negative. Cartoonist Mar 2022 #21

Who needs to prove anything? ShazzieB Mar 2022 #42

That's great advice. Cartoonist Mar 2022 #76

Why not? old as dirt Mar 2022 #45

It's allowed in the sense that you can do it. Cartoonist Mar 2022 #55

You can prove it or not...your choice. old as dirt Mar 2022 #60

I'm sure you believe that proves your point. nt Atticus Mar 2022 #69

That is again a false characterization. Jirel Mar 2022 #25

I disagree. old as dirt Mar 2022 #18

How would you prove Hav Mar 2022 #23

No, I think you are actually proving equilibrium. Cartoonist Mar 2022 #24

Proving equilibrium? old as dirt Mar 2022 #29

I'm not sure what you mean by mathematical negative. Cartoonist Mar 2022 #48

It's not a term that logicians use. old as dirt Mar 2022 #51

What link? Cartoonist Mar 2022 #56

The link in the post you were replying to above. old as dirt Mar 2022 #59

I missed it Cartoonist Mar 2022 #67

inability to 'disprove the negative' stopdiggin Mar 2022 #66

It is useful for some... old as dirt Mar 2022 #70

So ... You would agree that stopdiggin Mar 2022 #72

It's a challenge, ... old as dirt Mar 2022 #75

In the absense of evidence, ... old as dirt Mar 2022 #19

Science says god is superfluous for my existence. LakeArenal Mar 2022 #77

No Mind, No Buddha WhiteTara Mar 2022 #20

Atheism is NOT an "alternative belief system." MineralMan Mar 2022 #7

It certainly is an alternative belief. Is your problem with the "system" part? nt Atticus Mar 2022 #11

Again, it is merely a lack of belief. MineralMan Mar 2022 #13

Do you not "believe" that God does not exist? nt Atticus Mar 2022 #15

No. Jirel Mar 2022 #28

I believe that God does not exist. old as dirt Mar 2022 #30

As said before, you are certainly free to believe or "not believe" as you think best. At least, Atticus Mar 2022 #33

I do NOT believe that any deities exist. MineralMan Mar 2022 #49

Who said non-belief was the "equivalent" of belief? Are the terms not simply the Atticus Mar 2022 #57

What scientific evidence exists to prove the existence of... sanatanadharma Mar 2022 #26

I'm as skeptical of your existence as I am of my own. old as dirt Mar 2022 #32

Mind, brain, consciousness, self: are they all the same? sanatanadharma Mar 2022 #73

Trying to isolate and define the individual... old as dirt Mar 2022 #78

I have seldom enjoyed reading and thinking about a post as much as I enjoyed yours. Atticus Mar 2022 #34

God may "exist" cilla4progress Mar 2022 #27

Unlike some here, I have not stated my belief or lack of belief. That is a personal decision Atticus Mar 2022 #31

How can one sensibly talk about the existence of a thing cilla4progress Mar 2022 #36

Ok. nt Atticus Mar 2022 #46

I agree. shrike3 Mar 2022 #39

If people who believe in some sort of deity choose to believe that the lack Chainfire Mar 2022 #35

Exactly! cilla4progress Mar 2022 #37

No offense, but I remember attending a meeting of progressives. shrike3 Mar 2022 #44

Dr. Sagan, who I admire greatly, criticized not the existence of God, but the popular concept of Atticus Mar 2022 #50

My only problem is with people who say I should think/believe as they do. shrike3 Mar 2022 #38

I have never run into an atheist missionary. Chainfire Mar 2022 #47

Who said it was about proselytizing? shrike3 Mar 2022 #54

I mentioned that there would be ancectodal arguments. Chainfire Mar 2022 #68

Funny, I don't feel superior to you at all. shrike3 Mar 2022 #80

Thank you for that. Chainfire Mar 2022 #82

It's more irritation than me taking things personally. shrike3 Mar 2022 #83

Weird claims about the intelligence of other cultures... old as dirt Mar 2022 #53

Isn't there a certain amount of 'disrespect' built in stopdiggin Mar 2022 #52

Civility, yes. shrike3 Mar 2022 #62

Just out of curiosity. old as dirt Mar 2022 #79

Differences in culture is the price we pay... old as dirt Mar 2022 #64

THANKS TO ALL FOR THEIR CIVIL RESPONSES AND SOME VERY GOOD Atticus Mar 2022 #71

Stephen Colbert once said religion is based on emotion. shrike3 Mar 2022 #81

What would it take... old as dirt Mar 2022 #86

Neither atheist nor theist am I sanatanadharma Mar 2022 #84

Rainbow River In Colombia Is The Most Beautiful In The World old as dirt Mar 2022 #85